A little pond shimmers in the near distance, complete with koi fish lapping at the surface and an ornate bridge arching over the waters.
I step onto the bridge and look back in the direction I came from. From this side of the water, the restaurant looks like a jewel in the night. It’s a beautiful, arcing building, lit up so bright that it hurts my eyes to look directly at it for too long.
I try to fight it, but a single tear snakes its way free and runs down my cheek. I look down at the shimmering reflection of the lights on the pond’s surface. When the tear hits, it sends a subtle ripple through, making the lights dance.
How have I ended up here? At every turn in my life, I’ve made mistakes. Chosen wrong. I feel like it’s cost me so much, time and time again.
But this is the worst cos
